Just before the deadline for eight-year contracts, the Colorado Avalanche and Gabriel Landeskog have reached a deal for the max term. The captain will be staying with the only organization he’s ever known. The two sides have agreed to an eight-year contract worth a total of $56MM. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the first four years come with a full no-movement clause, while the final four will be a modified no-trade clause.
At times over the past few weeks, it seemed like Landeskog might actually reach the free agent market. The Avalanche were in a tight salary cap situation with a superstar defenseman to sign and a Vezina finalist on an expiring deal. Once the team worked out a massive RFA contract with Cale Makar though, things could progress with their captain.
In the end, it will be less than a $1.5MM per year raise for the 28-year old forward. Landeskog was coming off a seven-year, $39MM deal signed in 2013, which carried a $5.57MM cap hit. On this new deal, he eclipses Nathan MacKinnon’s $6.3MM cap hit but still comes far short of Mikko Rantanen’s $9.25MM as the team’s highest-paid forward. It’s much less than he likely could have received on the open market on a per-year basis, but the eighth season was something that only Colorado could offer. Landeskog now has contract security through his age-36 season and could very well play his entire career for the Avalanche.
On September 4, 2012, nearly a decade ago, Landeskog was named captain of the Avalanche. At the time, he was the youngest player ever to be given that honor in the NHL. He had just finished a Calder Trophy-winning rookie campaign, which included 22 goals and 52 points, and was given the “C” by veteran Milan Hejduk. Years later, Landeskog has been one of the most consistent players in team history and sits eighth all-time in points–including the days when the franchise was in Quebec. With this new deal, he’ll surely pass another few names on that list.
Landeskog is now tied for the 57th highest cap hit in the NHL, alongside young stars and veterans alike. The reasonable $7MM cap hit—especially when combined with the money that Makar left on the table—leaves room for the Avalanche to potentially bring back starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer in free agency as well. Colorado now sits with just over $12.3MM in cap space, though that includes a roster of just 16 players.
With less than 24 hours before free agency begins, any teams preparing an offer for Landeskog will have to turn their attention elsewhere. He ranked first on our Top 50 UFA list, but we predicted he would return to the Colorado Avalanche even if a deal wasn’t done before tonight’s eight-year threshold. Dougie Hamilton now assumes that top spot, while other forwards could draw a little more interest from teams looking to make a splash.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Too bad, would have liked to see him in a new situation…ah well…
And just like that any chance of Seattle being a contender swirls down the drain
Have you seen their draft and few moves they engineered the past week? They won’t be LV 2.0
Somewhere Dubas is shaking his head… “today’s GM’s just don’t get it, we have to pay these superstars more money!”
Not only that, but Landeskog can ride all of the rides at an amusement park. Dubas prefers players who have to check the sign to see on a case by case basis.
Colorado blinked. 8×7 is too many years and too much money.
7 mil is too much for your captain and a near point per game player in his prime? Even if you are pessimistic about it, it’s still only a modified NTC after four years. This is by all standards a home team discount.
Like I stated in a previous articles comment section, Landy was never going anywhere.
100%. He would have gotten AT LEAST 56 million over 7 years (8 million AAV) anywhere else. Every team with even the slimmest of hope was salivating he’d make it to market!
I said this in another forum, but it would have been such a monumental failure to let him walk, on so many levels. Put aside what he means to the team competitively, what does it say to the team and to the other leaders and veterans in the locker room who think the time is now to compete for the ultimate prize. You can be sure it would have given MacKinnon a fair amount of pause as to his future with the Avs if they went into next year letting the captain and one if the Avs best players walk.
Too much term, of course, this being yet another of the many many many long contracts a team will regret. But too much money? This is a huge hometown discount. Landeskog could have easily gotten $9 million on the open market and probably could have squeezed some team for $10 mm.
Which means they (barely) have the space to sign Grubauer. Barely. They will certainly have to wave goodbye to Saad, Yost and Bellemare, and get two league minimum contracts to fill out the roster.
Bellemare is already gone, they informed him that he won’t be getting an offer, Jost will be signed fairly cheap, and saad is probably the casualty here. Which is unfortunate due to his playoff production. He will get a nice 2 year pact somewhere.
Signed for 7 per, likely would have had many 8-8.5 per offers on the table IF he wanted to go elsewhere and maybe have a chance.
Took a small haircut (likely off the per year, but not anything total). Colorado is close to winning so why not take a shave to help them/him have a chance for the cup. If it’s not looking good he can waive for a team of his choice for the first 4 years or a team of any but 10 for the following. 7M for a player of his caliber isn’t crippling. Nor should it be in 6-8 years.
If he stays healthy it won’t prove to be a poor decision. Landeskog is a professional and has great value to the franchise and impacts winning.
And there goes that Preds pipedream. :/
But that contract may not look so good once you get into the 4th or 5th year of it. But if the Avs win a Cup or two by then, it’ll be money well spent.
Nice job Joe, a few years ago I thought you were in over your head but you’ve been coming through anymore. Now on to the goalie situation…
Francouz and Koskinen can share the net and let the Oilers go home with Grubauer.
Yes, but turning a Cup contender over to them is obviously very risky.
This would seem to make putting any real money or term into their netminding a precarious move with McKinnon’s extension awaiting.
Team friendly deal, Landeskog is only 28. Once again, great job by Joe Sakic
Love it! I knew talks of Landeskog being unhappy with negotiations with COL was all smoke and mirrors!
I think his statements were sincere.
Landeskog’s favorite player growing up was Peter Forsberg. He’s been a diehard Avs fan since childhood . When that’s taken into account it was pretty obvious this was going to happen.